The Union government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that activist Sonam Wangchuk cannot be released from detention on medical grounds, saying that he is “fit, hale and hearty”, Live Law reported.

“He had some digestive issue and he is being treated for that,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court. “There is nothing to worry. Nothing alarming.”

A bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and PB Varale was hearing a petition filed by Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo challenging the activist’s detention under the National Security Act.

Wangchuk was detained on September 26 and taken to a jail in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur after protests in Leh demanding statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. During the protests, demonstrators clashed with and threw stones at security personnel, injuring several of them. Four persons were killed in police firing.

During the hearing on February 4, the court had verbally asked the Union government to rethink Wangchuk’s detention considering that his “health is not that good”.

On Wednesday, the Union government said that it cannot make exceptions based on health grounds, Bar and Bench reported.

“The grounds on which the detention order was passed, continues,” Mehta told the court. “It will not be possible to release him on health grounds. It may not be desirable also. We have given utmost consideration.”

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